text: Anticaking agents are chemical compounds that prevent caking.  Some anticaking agents function by absorbing excess moisture or by coating particles and making them water-repellent. Calcium silicate (CaSiO), a common anti-caking agent added to table salt, absorbs both water and oil.  Anticaking agents are also used in non-food items such as road salt, fertilisers, cosmetics, synthetic detergents, and in manufacturing applications.